Principal Systems & Product Design Engineer

Mount Indie; Madison (WI); On-site; USD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Mount Indie is seeking a seasoned Systems Engineering Leader to bridge Product Management and Engineering across aerospace, defense, robotics, and autonomous systems. You will transform operational needs into scalable architectures, define system requirements, and guide execution from design through field deployment for mission-critical capabilities.

You will lead multidisciplinary teams, develop technical baselines, verification strategies, and ensure integration across networks, payloads, RF

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in an engineering discipline (listed) is required.
• 10–12 years of experience in aerospace/defense/robotics/autonomous systems or unmanned platforms.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage a multi-disciplinary team of engineers.
• Develop product architectures, system requirements, interface definitions, and verification strategies.
• Guide design, integration, and field deployment of complex systems across networks, payloads, and embedded software.

Skills

Systems engineering

Team leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

Technical mentoring

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Systems Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related field

Tools

SolidWorks

PDM

Job description

This position will be the technical bridge between Product Management and Engineering, you will transform operational needs into scalable product architectures, system requirements, and engineering execution through design, prototype, test. Working across aircraft, payloads, autonomy, networking, embedded software, and mission systems, you will establish the technical baseline that enables the team to rapidly develop, field, and evolve mission-critical capabilities for customers ranging from state/federal civil agencies, law enforcement, and Department of War.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities

• Lead and manage a multi-disciplinary team of engineers
• Responsible for developing and applying advanced techniques in the investigation and solution of advanced system requirements and problems
• Design, develop, maintain, and support technical infrastructure that includes network, hardware, database and/or system software components.
• Performs advanced technical planning, system integration, verification and validation, evaluates alternatives
• Analyzes and resolves difficult and complicated program support deficiencies
• Guide configuration, and support for infrastructure and ensure all quality and change control standards are met
• Plans, conducts and technically directs projects or major phases of significant projects
• Responsible for coordinates efforts of technical support staff in the performance of assigned projects
• Conducts design and fielded product performance investigations and tests of considerable complexity
• Reviews literature, patents and current practices relevant to the solution of assigned projects.
• Reviews completion and implementation of system additions and/or enhancements and makes recommendations to executive leadership
• May evaluate vendor capabilities to provide required products or services

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Systems Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related engineering discipline.
• 10-12 years of experience developing complex aerospace, defense, robotics, autonomous systems, or unmanned aircraft platforms from concept through production.
• Proven experience developing product architectures, system requirements, interface definitions, verification strategies, and technical baselines for multidisciplinary systems.
• Previous technical leadership or mentoring multidisciplinary engineering teams.
• Experience developing or integrating small, unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS), mission payloads, tactical communications, RF systems, networking, autonomy, or embedded systems.
• Proficiency with systems engineering tools such as Solid Works and PDM.
• Strong understanding of systems integration, networking architectures, payload integration, verification and validation, configuration management, and the engineering product lifecycle.
• Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional technical teams resulting in successful design, prototype, to new product introduction to manufacturing.
• Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills with the ability to communicate effectively with engineering teams, executive leadership, customers, and government stakeholders.
• U.S. Citizenship required; must be able to successfully undergo a criminal background investigation

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in related degree preferred.
• FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate.
• UAS flight-test or field-operations experience.
• Experience with autonomous flight systems and mission planning.
• Familiarity with MBSE/SysML and requirements-management tools.
• Experience with rapid prototyping, 3D printing, and advanced manufacturing.
• Knowledge of DoW/UAS standards and airworthiness processes.
• Experience integrating EO/IR sensors, communications, or specialized payloads.
• Experience transitioning prototype UAS products into production.
• Technical leadership or mentoring multidisciplinary engineering teams.